Canonical has released Minimal Ubuntu Pro images for use on public cloud platforms, aiming to give teams a smaller base image with a narrower software footprint. The solution is designed for organizations that want tighter control over what runs inside production cloud workloads. The image starts with a limited set of packages required to boot, connect, and support common cloud use cases.
What Minimal Ubuntu Pro includes
Minimal Ubuntu Pro is based on Ubuntu Pro, Canonical’s commercial Linux offering with extended security maintenance. The minimal image limits the default package set to core system components and cloud-related functionality.
The image includes Ubuntu Pro security coverage, including extended CVE patching for the main Ubuntu archive and additional packages. Security updates follow Canonical’s standard release process and lifecycle timelines.
Availability on major cloud platforms
Canonical says Minimal Ubuntu Pro images are available through the marketplaces for AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. Customers can deploy the images using the same workflows they use for other Ubuntu images, with Ubuntu Pro subscription costs handled through the cloud provider.
The images receive ongoing updates through Canonical’s regular infrastructure and are supported for the duration of the Ubuntu Pro lifecycle.
Security and compliance considerations
A smaller base image changes how security teams manage risk. A limited package set reduces the number of software components that vulnerability scanners must track. Patch planning becomes more predictable because the image includes fewer dependencies by default.
Compliance teams benefit from a simpler software inventory. Documentation and audit records start from a base image with fewer installed elements, which reduces the amount of evidence required to show system configuration and maintenance practices.
Carlos Bravo, Public Cloud Director at Canonical, said the approach centers on reducing unnecessary software.
“Every unnecessary package is a potential risk. Minimal Ubuntu Pro ships with only the essential components required to boot and connect, reducing exposure. Fewer packages mean fewer CVEs to track, fewer patches to apply, and less overall maintenance. For example, documentation, text editors, and locale files are removed, leaving only what’s necessary to run your workloads,” Bravo explained.
Use in platform engineering workflows
Platform and DevOps teams often create custom base images to manage package growth over time. Canonical positions Minimal Ubuntu Pro as a starting point for those image pipelines. Teams can add application dependencies deliberately and maintain tighter oversight of what enters production environments.
Minimal Ubuntu Pro fits into Canonical’s broader cloud strategy focused on managed Linux distributions with extended security support across public cloud platforms.